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Try Beacon. It's a small and somewhat gritty city with a Metro North stop. It's the type of place where on one block you could have a black family, a Hispanic family, an artist/hipster family, a Brooklyn transplant family, and an old-time white blue-collar family. Seems like most people get along. There is a real downtown that is pretty nice (but not "that" nice, if you know what I mean).
Well, of course you're having a hard time. Anyone with any sense knows you don't rent upstate. You buy your own private land.
And stay away from any lake villages or communities where you pay an annual fee. They just want your money. Don't fall for all the amenity crap. You're better off roughing it on private land because you control your own property, not someone else.
Save up for land and then try looking on LandWatch.com.
You have to remember, renting from someone or buying in a community that is controlled by a private owner or group is always putting yourself under their control. If you can avoid it, never put yourself under someone else's control where they can dictate to you what you can do or how much you pay. The only authorities I allow myself to be under control of are local, state and federal government. That's it. You should just assume all private authorities are going to be jerks. The less people with hands on your life the better.
But if you just don't like being alone maybe a rural environment is not for you.
Last edited by Shankapotomus; 08-23-2014 at 05:50 AM..
Thank you this is such a nice thoughtful answer back!
The thing about upstate NY is it's just as hard to settle in than Manhattan. There are little pockets of country hamlets and the people have various professions and interests, I'm just in the wrong one. Just a matter of settling in the right place, and finding the right vibration I guess. Ulster's definitely generally a vacation spot, or shows and musicians/festivals that travel through. Hard to generalize though I think you'd find this anywhere, pockets of people. Woodstock has been to me seeming like a downer place, everywhere I go, in shops and fine dining even, all I hear is the service people complaining or moping.
Thanks again. Maybe I'm searching for a utopia that doesn't exist ! Unless you have a house over 2 million
Quote:
Originally Posted by galee
Have you considered the New Paltz area? Rosendale is a nice town, and a lot of New Yorkers also like Stone Ridge, High Falls, Kerhonkson and Accord in Ulster County.
About the Catskills, you don't need to buy land there. There are many houses for sale and the rents are low. Just check out a realtor to help you with your search. I have lived in the West Village for over 30 years and have a 3-bedroom house with two acres in Sullivan County which I love. My house cost less than half of what a nice studio apt. in the west village would cost. And the mortgage is not even half of what you were paying each month for your shoebox.
I agree with you about Woodstock. I found it quite disappointing. I don't know where you will find acting classes in the area. Perhaps a college with a theater department? People don't come up to Ulster or Sullivan County for theater. Most people from the city come up to buy a nice property, enjoy the wildlife, hiking, gardening, and quiet times. I think you might be happier in a larger city like Rochester, Syracuse or Buffalo. I understand that Buffalo has a good music scene.
Rochester has a lot of cultural life, though, of course, it cannot compare to Manhattan. The city of Rochester has some bad areas, but there are many nice suburban areas that are close to the downtown area. Housing prices are really low, and there are a lot of good colleges in the area.
Good luck in your search. Avail yourself of city-data. People can be very helpful if you ask the right questions.
Thanks so much for the advice Shankapotomus. Definitely more empowering to own your own land, the landlords that I've run into are very by the book/business people. When I can, better to either buy land and even put up a grain silo, then you can build up. They're actually not bad, can be stylish.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Shankapotomus
Well, of course you're having a hard time. Anyone with any sense knows you don't rent upstate. You buy your own private land.
And stay away from any lake villages or communities where you pay an annual fee. They just want your money. Don't fall for all the amenity crap. You're better off roughing it on private land because you control your own property, not someone else.
Save up for land and then try looking on LandWatch.com.
You have to remember, renting from someone or buying in a community that is controlled by a private owner or group is always putting yourself under their control. If you can avoid it, never put yourself under someone else's control where they can dictate to you what you can do or how much you pay. The only authorities I allow myself to be under control of are local, state and federal government. That's it. You should just assume all private authorities are going to be jerks. The less people with hands on your life the better.
But if you just don't like being alone maybe a rural environment is not for you.
Maybe you could move further Upstate, but I don't know what exactly you are looking for.
Thank you so much Ckhthankgod, I think I need to find a college town, I'm just not with common values with Woodstock, it's really a 40 plus crowd it seems. I don't fit in, I'm older than college age but always still study. Either a college town or something somewhat city-ish and refined/upscale with culture and arts, Hudson seemed like a nice place but then I looked into it further and seems like not a place you'd want to walk around at night. Northampton MA is wonderful, right now I'm so stuck in the middle of nowhere that I can't even find work, Woodstock is really a service town---restaurants/hospitality/spa--a weekend ice cream spot really. I think I took the town too seriously without checking out other places. Honestly the best thing to do if you're moving up here is check out at least 10 towns by car in a few days, I just sort of jumped in and it's been really exhausting.
I've been in upstate NY for a year, although I wanted to move here a longer while back, I don't know if anybody's in the same boat, you move up here obviously for space, well one reason, you can find some space up here that you'd pay $5,000 or $10,000 in Tribeca for.
One the other hand upstate, you do have beautiful swimming holes, peace and quiet, and clean air, stunning views, hiking...etc.
Try uptown kingston or roundout kingston by the water, there are so many art galleries every first saturday of each month they are all open and have parties and gatherings. Plus kingston has upac theater . Its cheap enough rent. Cool bars and lounges with live bands and music. Great food, and they have a bus station takes you to nyc! Just dont live mid-town its not so nice only uptown or roundout. Oh and people are very friendly and artsy
Last edited by Tammiestarr; 09-20-2014 at 12:31 PM..
Reason: .
Have you thought about Ithaca?
It's a college town, and it's real. Not just cutsy and fake and just service oriented like Woodstock.
That was the first place that came to mind. He/she could also look into college areas of the bigger cities or communities with a college that isn't that far from a bigger city like a Brockport, Oswego, Geneseo or Cortland. A small city like Auburn may be a sleeper due to having these institutions: Auburn Public Theater | Movies, Comedy, Stage, Live Music, Dance in the Finger Lakes Region
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Thanks!
